A registered nurse pleaded guilty Wednesday to claiming to treat a Medicaid patient who had already died, the Georgia Attorney General’s office said.
Jeannette Mary Hokanson, 60, of Atlanta, pleaded guilty in Fulton County Superior Court to one count each of identity fraud, forgery in the first degree, and false statements and writings for fraudulently billing Georgia Medicaid, Attorney General Sam Olens said in an emailed statement. Hokanson was sentenced to 10 years of probation under the state’s first offender act, Olens said.
In October 2007, Hokanson began working as a nurse for a Fulton County home health agency, Olens’ office said. A patient under Hokanson’s care died Sept. 18, 2012, in Atlanta.
But prosecutors contend Hokanson continued to submit nursing visit notes to her employer after the patient’s death, Olens said. Many of the fraudulent notes included forged signatures of the deceased patient and a signature by Hokanson stating she treated the patient.
Hokanson was indicted in November and booked into the Fulton County jail Nov. 28. She was released from jail Dec. 4, booking records show.
Hokanson has been a registered nurse in Georgia since July 1996, according to the Secretary of State’s office.
About the Author
